Solar Eclipses 2024: List of Upcoming Solar Eclipses, Safety Tips, and More

The first solar eclipse of 2024 will darken the sky on April 8. This particular event will be a total solar eclipse, which is rarely seen on Earth. After this event, the next total solar eclipse in the same area will not occur for another twenty years. A total solar eclipse of similar impact is expected in 2044. This event is primarily seen in North America, including Mexico, the United States, and Canada. It is not directly visible to other parts of the world, although there are still some areas where it is partially observed. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest solar eclipses, plus a list of all upcoming solar eclipses and more.

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon in which the moon passes between the earth and the sun and completely or partially blocks sunlight. These events occur rarely and by chance because the moon needs to be in the same plane as the sun and Earth, which doesn’t always happen. Even if alignment does occur, it’s more likely to be partial rather than complete. This is why total solar eclipses are so rare.

On average, Earth experiences two to five solar eclipses in a year. However, most are partial eclipses and are not very noticeable. A total solar eclipse is very dramatic, darkening the sky, but can only be seen from a few locations. That’s why the chance to experience a solar eclipse is often called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Different types of solar eclipses

There are three types of solar eclipses. A solar eclipse can be defined as a partial, total or annular eclipse, depending on the position of the moon. Here are the full details:

Partial solar eclipse: A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon partially obscures the sun, but some of the sun’s light still reaches the Earth. When a partial solar eclipse occurs, part of the sun appears to disappear. Can be observed on a larger scale.

Total solar eclipse: A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon and sun are in the same plane and the moon is close enough to the earth to briefly cover the sun. Unlike a partial solar eclipse, it can usually be seen over a smaller area of ​​land.

Annular solar eclipse: Finally, during an annular solar eclipse, the moon is far away from the Earth and cannot completely cover the sun. At the height of this eclipse, the moon obscured the central part of the sun and only a ring of light was visible from Earth.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Date, Time and Location

this Total solar eclipse 2024 will happen in April 8th. The complete darkening of the sky, also known as a total eclipse, will be visible for 185 kilometers between Mexico, the United States and Canada. The eclipse will begin at 11:07 a.m. PDT on the Pacific coast of Mexico and end on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada at 5:16 p.m. ET. As many as 18 U.S. states will also see it.

Total solar eclipse not visible in India. The event will start at 9:12 pm IST, a few hours after the sun sets. The total solar eclipse will begin at 10:08 pm IST and the eclipse will end on April 9 at 2:22 am IST.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: How to watch live online

While people in India and other countries outside North America won’t be able to witness the total solar eclipse in person, astronomy enthusiasts can still follow it online. There will be multiple live broadcasts covering this rare celestial event. NASA’s live broadcast will begin at 5:00pm GMT (10:30pm IST) on April 8 and run until 8:00pm GMT (1:30am IST).You can watch live here.

Skywatching website timeanddate.com will also livestream the total solar eclipse on its YouTube channel It starts at 4:30pm GMT (10:00pm IST) on April 8th. The livestream will also provide real-time updates and background information.

Finally, the University of Maine will launch a high-altitude scientific balloon into the sky and broadcast live views of the total solar eclipse from the stratosphere.Can watch here It starts on April 8th at noon GMT (5:30pm IST).

Total solar eclipse 2024: List of countries to view the celestial event

The 2024 total solar eclipse will only be visible in parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada.

List of upcoming solar eclipses

according to data According to timeanddate.com, the following solar eclipses are expected to be observed from Earth.

Tips for safely viewing the upcoming solar eclipse

While it is not recommended to look directly at the sun as its intense brightness and harmful ultraviolet radiation can cause permanent damage to the naked eye, this becomes even more important during a solar eclipse. Dark skies can give the false impression that the sun’s intensity is diminished, making it safe to view it; however, any escaping sunlight can cause just as much damage to the eyes. This is why precautions must always be taken before viewing a solar eclipse event.

1. Safe solar observation glasses should be used when viewing the solar eclipse directly.

2. Ordinary sunglasses, no matter how dark the color, are not safe to look directly at the sun.

3. Binoculars, camera lenses, telescopes, or any other optical equipment should not be used with solar viewing glasses because concentrated sunlight can burn through the filters.

4. Before observing the sun through optical equipment, an appropriate solar filter should be added to the optical equipment.

5. Without sunglasses, people can choose to view the eclipse indirectly. NASA highlighted the pinhole projector method, in which a small hole punched in an index card projects an image of the Sun onto a surface where the eclipse can be seen.